By HILLEL ITALIE - AP National Writer Monday, January 11th 2016, 5:43 am ESTNEW YORK (AP) — David Bowie made clear, in a way that was exhilarating and sometimes frightening, what every rock star since Elvis Presley and Little Richard had been telling us all along — that anything was possible.

With his unpredictable range of styles, his melding of European jadedness with American rhythms and his ever changing personas and wardrobes, the gaunt and erudite Bowie brought an open theatricality and androgyny to popular music that changed the very meaning of being a rock star. From album to album, and concert to concert, fans were never sure how he would look — in black leather and a pompadour; in makeup and orange hair as his alter ego Ziggy Stardust; shirtless and wearing a Mohawk; or elegant and debauched in a dark vest and white shirt, cigarette dangling from his mouth, taking in the uncertainty of modern life.

"My entire career, I've only really worked with the same subject matter," Bowie, whose death was announced early Monday, told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. "The trousers may change, but the actual words and subjects I've always chosen to write with are things to do with isolation, abandonment, fear and anxiety — all of the high points of one's life."

Representative Steve Martin said that Bowie died "peacefully" surrounded by family after battling cancer for 18 months.

"While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief," the statement read. No more details were provided.

Bowie turned 69 on Friday, the same day he released a new album called "Blackstar." He also released a music video on Friday for the song "Lazarus," which shows a frail Bowie lying in bed, eyes bandaged. The song begins with the line: "Look up here, I'm in heaven."

To millions of fans, his appeal was on all levels — visually, intellectually, sonically. He was as likely to quote Friedrich Nietzsche as he was to refer to an old pop song. He was a writer, a musician and producer. He was also one of the first rock stars to receive serious critical attention as a stage performer, for "The Elephant Man," and as a movie actor for "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" and "The Man Who Fell to Earth" among others. Years before the rise of MTV he was using videos not just for promotion, but for creating narratives and expanding on the themes implicit in the music.

"What I'm most proud of is that I can't help but notice that I've affected the vocabulary of pop music. For me, frankly, as an artist, that's the most satisfying thing for the ego," he said in the 2002 interview.

Mick Jagger, Lou Reed and Freddie Mercury were among the many artists who collaborated with Bowie and were influenced by him. He was a central figure in the "Glam Rock" wave of the mid-1970s, and a key influence of the disco era and on Madonna and the other visually-oriented performers who rose with MTV in the 1980s. His tense, wiry voice, capable of a baritone croon or falsetto shriek, proved as suited for the groove-based hits "Let's Dance" and "Modern Love" as for the sci-fi drama of "Space Oddity." Bowie also wrote the glam rock anthem "All the Young Dudes" for Mott the Hoople, worked with John Lennon on the James Brown-styled funk of "Fame" and brought in a young Luther Vandross as a backup singer on his hit "Young Americans." Vandross and Bowie co-wrote another song from the "Young Americans" album, "Fascination."

When Bowie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, David Byrne of Talking Heads spoke at the ceremony and recalled being shocked the first time he saw him.

"And yet it was very familiar," Byrne said. "It was very necessary. It was something that was needed. It was essential. And like all rock and roll, it was tasteless, it was glamorous, it was perverse, it was fun, it was crass, it was sexy, it was confusing."

Added Madonna, who accepted the honor for Bowie: "Before I saw David Bowie live I was your normal dysfunctional, rebellious teenager from the Midwest. He has truly changed my life."

Bowie was born David Jones in London in 1947, the son of a promotions officer and a waitress. He had an early and obvious taste for music, design, art and dancing, and, like so many children of the time, was profoundly moved by rock music. "I had heard God," was how he described the impact of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti."

By his teens, he was performing in bands that played blues, folk, contemporary pop and other kinds of music. But his early singles didn't sell and he also suffered from being confused with a superstar of the time, Davy Jones of the Monkees. He changed his last name to Bowie, after the knife identified with American frontiersman Jim Bowie. In 1969, his perfectly timed single "Space Oddity," released soon before the launch of the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon, became a top five hit in England.

Into the mid-1980s, he was one of rock's top stars, with No. 1 albums including "Aladdin Sane" and "Diamond Dogs" and the smash "Let's Dance," produced by Nile Rodgers and featuring such hits as the title song and "Modern Love." Other notable Bowie songs included "Blue Jean," ''Golden Years" and "Heroes," which he performed at a concert for rescue workers after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Bowie kept a low profile in recent years after reportedly suffering a heart attack in the 2000s. He made a moody album three years ago called "The Next Day" — his first recording in a decade which was made in secret in New York City. "Blackstar," which earned positive reviews from critics, represented yet another stylistic shift, as he gathered jazz players to join him.

He was uneasy with some of his greatest material, once embarking on a "greatest hits" tour saying it would be the last time performing much of his old material. He later relented, however.

"I'm not a natural performer," he said. "I don't enjoy performing terribly much. Never have. I can do it and, if my mind's on the situation, do it quite well. But five or six shows in, I'm dying to get off the road and go back into the studio."

British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted that Bowie's death is "a huge loss." He wrote he had grown up listening to and watching Bowie and called the singer a "master of reinvention" and a pop genius who kept on getting it right.

Kanye West said on Twitter that Bowie "was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime."

Bowie was married twice, to the actress and model Mary Angela "Angie" Barnett from 1970-80, and to international supermodel Iman since 1992. He had two children — Duncan Jones and Alexandria Zahra Jones — one with each wife.

0114-rene-celine-getty-01Celine Dion's husband's long battle with cancer ended Thursday morning ... he died at their home in Las Vegas. Rene Angelil was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998. His health got so bad last year that Celine took a leave of absence from her Las Vegas show to take care of him. Sources close to Celine tell us Rene's death was completely unexpected because recently he's felt much better. In fact, we're told he and Celine had planned business meetings together for today. We've learned Celine has already cancelled the 2 shows she was scheduled to do at Caesars Palace this weekend. She's set to return on Feb. 23rd.

Rene and Celine got married in 1994 and he managed her for years. They have 3 sons, a 14-year-old and 5-year-old twins. Rene also has 3 other children from a previous marriage. People first reported Rene's death. He was 73.

0115-main-haggerty-getty-02Famous '70s TV star Dan Haggerty -- who played Grizzly Adams -- died from cancer early Friday morning ... TMZ has learned.Haggerty died after battling cancer for the last few months. Sources close to Dan's family tell us doctors discovered the cancer after he had surgery for back pain. Haggerty starred in the 1977 hit TV show "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" as the lovable mountain man whose BFF was a grizzly bear. He also guest starred on several TV shows like "CHiPs" and "Charlie's Angels."Haggerty was getting treatment in a hospital until recently when doctors told him the end was near and his son told close friends and family to come visit over the last few days before he passed. Dan was 74.

0114-alan-rickman-getty-01Alan Rickman -- perhaps best known for playing Professor Snape in the 'Harry Potter' films -- passed away, his family announced Thursday. He was 69. Rickman had been suffering from cancer and was surrounded by family, they said.

The British actor's first major role was playing Hans Gruber opposite Bruce Willis in "Die Hard." Rickman took home a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his lead role in the 1996 HBO movie "Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny."

Glenn Frey, a founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, has died ... TMZ has learned.We're told the cause of death was a combination of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia.Frey had been battling intestinal issues for months and had surgery in November. We're told in the last few days his condition took a turn for the worse. He died in New York City.Glenn co-wrote and sang most of the Eagles hits, including "Take It Easy," "Tequila Sunrise," "Lyin' Eyes," and "Heartache Tonight," to name a few. He also co-wrote "Hotel California" and "Desperado" with Don Henley and took home 6 Grammys with the band.After the Eagles' 1980 breakup, Glenn launched a successful solo career, recording numerous hits ... most notably "The Heat Is On" and "You Belong to the City."

Glenn also got into acting, snagging a recurring role on "Miami Vice."He reunited with the Eagles in '94 for their monster Hell Freezes Over tour and recorded music till the end, releasing what would be his fifth and final solo LP, "After Hours," in 2012.The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had been fighting intestinal issues for awhile but his condition relapsed before the holidays, forcing the Eagles to pull out of their Kennedy Center Honors appearance in December. At the time, the band said he needed major surgery that would require a lengthy recovery. Glenn was 67. RIP.

Actor Abe Vigoda smiles as he attends the Friars Club Roast of Betty White in New York May 16, 2012. (Reuters)

Character actor Abe Vigoda has died.

Vigoda's daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, told The Associated Press that Vigoda died Tuesday morning in his sleep. He was 94 and had been staying at Fuchs' home in Woodland Park, New Jersey. She said the cause of death was old age. "This man was never sick," Fuchs said.

Vigoda's leathery, sunken-eyed face made him ideal for playing his two most noted roles, the over-the-hill detective Phil Fish in the 1970s TV series "Barney Miller" and the doomed Mafia soldier in "The Godfather."

Pat Conroy, bestselling US author of the Prince of Tides, dies aged 70Novelist who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer died at his home in South Carolina among family

Pat Conroy sold more than 20m book worldwide. Photograph: Lou Krasky/APAssociated Press

Pat Conroy, the author of the Prince of Tides and other bestsellers, who drew upon his bruising childhood to become one of America’s most popular storytellers, has died. He was 70.

Conroy, who announced last month that he had pancreatic cancer, died at home among family and loved ones in Beaufort, South Carolina, according to his publisher. The author had battled other health problems in recent years, including diabetes, high blood pressure and a failing liver.

Has US literature woken from the American dream? Read more“The water is wide and he has now passed over,” his wife, novelist Cassandra Conroy, said in a statement from publisher Doubleday.

Funeral arrangements were still being made.

Few contemporary authors seemed more knowable to their readers over than Conroy. An openly personal writer, he candidly and expansively shared details of growing up as a “military brat” and his anguished relationship with his abusive father, Marine aviator and military hero Donald Conroy. He also wrote of his time in military school and his struggles with his health and depression.

“The reason I write is to explain my life to myself,” Conroy said in a 1986 interview. “I’ve also discovered that when I do, I’m explaining other people’s lives to them.”

His books sold more than 20m copies worldwide, but for much of his youth he crouched in the shadow of Donald Conroy, who “thundered out of the sky in black-winged fighter planes, every inch of him a god of war,” as Pat Conroy would remember. The author was the eldest of seven children in a family constantly moving from base to base, a life readers and moviegoers would learn well from The Great Santini as a novel and film, which starred Robert Duvall as the relentless and violent patriarch.

The 1976 novel initially enraged Conroy’s family, but the movie three years later made such an impression on his father that he claimed credit for boosting Duvall’s career (The actor had already appeared in two Godfather films), saying, “The poor guy got a role with some meat on it.”

The book also helped achieve peace between father and son.

“I grew up hating my father,” Conroy said after his father died in 1998. “It was the great surprise of my life, after the book came out, what an extraordinary man had raised me.” The author would reflect at length on his relationship with his father in the 2013 memoir The Death of Santini.

The Prince of Tides, published in 1986, secured Conroy a wide audience, selling more than 5m copies despite patchy reviews for its story of a former football player from South Carolina with a traumatic past and the New York psychiatrist who attempts to help him.

“Inflation is the order of the day. The characters do too much, feel too much, suffer too much, eat too much, signify too much and, above all, talk too much,” said The Los Angeles Times Book Review.

But Conroy focused on the advice he once got from “the finest writer I ever encountered,” novelist James Dickey, who taught him at the University of South Carolina.

“He told me to write everything I did with all the passion and all the power you could muster,” Conroy recalled. “Don’t worry about how long it takes or how long it is when you’re done. You know, he was right.”

The Prince of Tides was made into a hit 1991 film starring Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand, who also produced and directed it. Conroy worked on the screenplay and shared an Oscar nomination, one of seven Oscar nominations it earned, including best picture.

Conroy’s much-anticipated Beach Music, published in 1995, was a best-seller that took nine years to complete. Conroy had been working on The Prince of Tides screenplay, but he also endured a divorce, depression, back surgery and the suicide of his youngest brother.

Pat Conroy’s other books included South of Broad, set in Charleston’s historic district, and My Reading Life, a collection of essays that chronicled his lifelong passion for literature.

He was born Donald Patrick Conroy on 26 October, 1945.

Following graduation in 1967, he worked as a high school teacher in Beaufort.

For a year he taught poor children on isolated Daufuskie Island, not far from the resort of Hilton Head. The experience was the basis for his 1972 book, The Water is Wide, which brought him a National Endowment for the Arts award and was made into the movie Conrack.

Conroy was married three times and had two daughters. Although he lived around the world, he always considered South Carolina his home.

“Make this university, this state, yourself and your family proud,” Conroy told University of South Carolina graduates in a 1997 commencement speech.

“If you have a little luck, any luck at all, if you do it right, there’s a great possibility you can teach the whole world how to dance.